Mansion on the Hill (v.4)

August 27, 2008 6:00 PM

Because it's not finished until there's a white guy pretending to be a gospel choir.

posted by cortex (17 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite

Versions one (Astro Zombie singing and picking), two (flapjax adds some close harmonies), and three (umbu kicks in some organ).

I've added a third high close harmony to the AZ's melody and flapjax's harmony, as well as a shaky call-and-return trio, some clapping, and upright bass. Restraint: not my forte.
posted by cortex at 6:03 PM on August 27, 2008


Amen! This is glorious!
posted by umbú at 6:14 PM on August 27, 2008


All it needs now is some sacred steel.
posted by umbú at 6:15 PM on August 27, 2008


Or may a second line parade brass band.
posted by umbú at 6:16 PM on August 27, 2008


Lovely! It's been great watching this come together. I almost believe there is a glorious mansion waiting for me on the h.... hey, wait a minute. Something's fishy here. This better not be an elaborate build up to getting us all to invest in timeshare!
posted by RokkitNite at 6:23 PM on August 27, 2008


RokkitNite, think of it as a community houseblog.
posted by cortex at 8:42 PM on August 27, 2008


Nice, each step of the way has been really well. I was wanting to turn it into a punk song but I tried and it just didn't work :(
posted by BrnP84 at 9:08 PM on August 27, 2008


It really is glorious.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:27 PM on August 27, 2008


And the song is,
G! (da-da-da-daa-da)
L! (da-da-da-daa-da)
O! (da-da-da-daa-da)
R! (da-da-da-daa-da)
ai - ai - ai - ai -ai -ai,
G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S,
GLOOOOOOW-RIUS!!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:59 AM on August 28, 2008


This really is glorious. I do agree that some sacred steel would just be awesome. Wish I could do it.
posted by kingbenny at 8:05 AM on August 28, 2008


Heck, maybe even some secular humanist steel.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:10 AM on August 28, 2008


I wouldn't have thunk that the original needed anything else, but hearing it now, that upright bass was much needed. And man, that call-and-response choir is priceless.

Great work, y'all.
posted by micayetoca at 8:45 AM on August 28, 2008


I wouldn't have thunk that the original needed anything else...

That's one of the great things about music, though, isn't it? I mean, in fact the original didn't "need" anything else: it's a fine song, delivered with powerful immediacy and honesty. It stands on its own, perfectly well, in its stark simplicity. And the subsequent additions didn't make it "better", to my way of thinking. Just different. It goes to show how flexible music can be. Some folks may prefer AZ's simple original. For others, one vocal harmony might have been just the thing to float their personal boat. The addition of organ might be the ticket for others still, and v.4, a full-on treatment, might be to other folks' liking.

I think all four versions (wonder if there'll be any more?) are good and each one has something to recommend it. And I think this is a great idea: I hope more folks will post bare-bones arrangements that they invite people to add to. Could be a really good thing for MeFi Music.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:39 AM on August 28, 2008


yeah, when I wrote that I hoped it wouldn't be construed as saying "the rest of you had no business messing around with it", but exactly as you interpreted it, saying "the original stands on its own". I too think that each version is really cool and the whole "process" is a great moment in MefiMu.
posted by micayetoca at 9:46 AM on August 28, 2008


Speaking for myself, I've been thrilled at each new iteration. You write a song, and record it, and it's a thing that you've done and you know. But when other people start to contribute, it becomes something new. I've never been able to hear my own songs as though it were something I didn't make, but just a song to listen to, and this process has made it possible for me to do that, and that's been really excellent.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:52 AM on August 28, 2008


this is spectacular... white guy gospel choir and all.
posted by punkbitch at 1:03 PM on August 28, 2008


Love it.
Great material to start this off with, Astro Zombie and for giving it up like that. Loved hearing it being added to, piece by piece. Keep that gospel choir going./


The sirens fit in perfectly. What perfect timing. I thought it was off in the distance outside here [I'm on a major artery- it's normal].

I agree Ubu, add some sacred steel [bigup, steelradio.com - heh-heh] your grandfather's 1927 National Tricone¿ OMFG, Please, I so want to hear it./ Excellent. Absolutely add it, when you get to your microphones safely.
posted by alicesshoe at 2:24 PM on September 1, 2008


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